100 



MR. HATCHETT'S EXPERIMENTS 



Shell Lac. 





Refin 



90.90 



Colouring extract - 



0.50 



Wax 



4. 



Gluten - 



2.80 



98.20. 



The proportions of the fubftances which compofe the varie- 

 ties of lac, mud however be fubject to very confiderable va- 

 riations; and we ought therefore only to confider thefe ana- 

 lyses in a general point of view. Hence we fhould ftate, 

 that lac confifts principally of refin, mixed with certain pro- 

 portions of a peculiar kind of wax, of gluten, and of colour- 

 ing extract. 



The relative quantity of the two latter ingredients, very con- 

 siderably effect the characters of the lacs; for inftance, we may 

 obferve, that the glutinous fubftance, when prefent in fliell 

 lac in a more than ufual proportion, probably produces the 

 defect obferved in fome kinds of fealing wax, which, when 

 heated and burned, become blackened by particles of coal ; 

 for the gluten affords much of this fubftance, and does not 

 melt, like the refin and wax. From what has been dated, 

 therefore, lac may be denominated a ccro-refin, mixed with 

 gluten and colouring extract. 



§111. 



GENERAL REMARKS. 



Lac has the cha- From the whole of the experiments which have been re- 

 rafters of vege- ia t e d, it appears that although lac is indifputably the pro- 

 duction of infects, yet it poffeffes few of the characters of 

 animal fubftances : and that the greater part of its aggre- 

 gate properties, as well as of its component ingredients, 

 arefuch as more immediately appertain to vegetable bodies. 

 It is very ufeful ; Lac, or gum lac, as it is popularly but improperly called, 

 is certainly a very ufeful fubftance ; and the natives of India 

 furnifh full proofs of this, by the many purpofes to which 

 they apply it. 

 for rings, beads ; According to Mr. Kerr, it is made by them into rings, 

 beads, and other female ornaments, 



Wher 



